A recent study suggested that a type of training may help maintain leg strength in older adults.
- With age, muscle strength declines, particularly in the legs, which can affect mobility and the independence of older people.
- Resistance training with heavy weights may help maintain leg strength over the long term, researchers say.
- To maintain the autonomy of elderly people, it could therefore be interesting to regularly carry out resistance training with heavy loads.
We know that physical exercise is the key to being in shape, especially for older people. According to the results of a study published in the journal BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicineintensive resistance training with heavy weights, upon retirement, would help preserve leg strength.
The importance of physical activity to maintain the autonomy of older people
With age, skeletal muscle mass and function naturally decline. However, this reduction in muscle strength, particularly in the legs, can affect mobility and independence in older adults. It is therefore essential to maintain leg strength.
In this research, the researchers therefore examined the long-term effects of training with heavy loads. At the beginning of the study, they followed recently retired, healthy and active participants. They divided them into different groups according to their gender, weight (BMI) and their ability to get up from a chair without help.
Volunteers were then randomly assigned to:
- one year of weight lifting, three times a week (149 subjects);
- moderate-intensity training consisting of bodyweight exercise circuits and resistance bands, three times per week (154 subjects);
- a comparison group, in which participants were all encouraged to maintain their usual level of physical activity (148 subjects).
Four-year follow-up to assess leg strength
The study authors also measured bone and muscle strength and body fat levels in all participants at baseline and for one, two and four years.
Nearly four years after the start of follow-up, 369 participants were available for assessment:
- 128 out of 149 of those who had followed the resistance training with heavy weights;
- 126 out of 154 of those who had followed moderate-intensity training;
- 115 out of 148 of those in the control group.
These volunteers were on average 71 years old, and were still active, according to their daily physical activity recorded by trackers. Nearly 82 people had dropped out due to illness or lack of motivation.
Greater leg strength with resistance training with heavy weights
According to the results, there were no significant differences between the three groups in leg extension strength, i.e. the ability to pedal as fast and hard as possible, grip strength and lean leg mass. Decreases in physical capacity were observed in all three indicators.
However, leg strength was maintained at the same level in the heavy weight resistance training group, while it dropped in the other two panels.
Overall, the study participants were healthier and more active than average, despite the fact that 80% of them had at least one long-term condition. “This study provides evidence that heavy-duty resistance training in retirement age can have long-term effects over many years. The findings therefore provide practitioners and policy makers with ways to encourage older adults to engage in heavy-duty training,” noted the researchers.
